Perfectionism profiles among college students: A person-centered approach to motivation, behavior, and emotion

Abstract

Perfectionism among college students has increased in the past three decades, yet studies of perfectionism in academic contexts are relatively scarce. This study used a person-centered approach to investigate associations between perfectionism profiles and academic indicators (i.e., motivation, behavior, and emotion), whether there are any gender or racial/ethnic differences in perfectionism profiles, and whether growth mindsets moderated associations between perfectionism profiles and academic indicators. Data were collected from 516 college students enrolled in math-related courses. Latent profile analysis revealed four distinct types of perfectionism characterized as Ambitious, Concerned, Perfectionist and Non-perfectionist. The Ambitious group was associated with the best academic indicators overall, whereas the Concerned group had the worst indicators. Students in the Perfectionist and Non-perfectionist groups exhibited more complex patterns across academic indicators, with those in the Perfectionist group having generally more positive motivational/behavioral indicators but more negative emotional indicators, and those in the Non-perfectionist group demonstrating the opposite pattern. Asian American students were over-represented in the Ambitious and Perfectionist groups. Additionally, growth mindset served as a protective factor for the Concerned and Non-perfectionist groups on motivational indicators (task value and perceived cost, respectively). Overall, this study highlights the importance of person-centered approaches and the inclusion of multiple academic indicators (i.e., motivational, behavioral, and emotional) to reveal the complex nature of perfectionism.